Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
Considering the third base class challenge has ended (resulting in the base class below taking the win), I am posting this to get some PEACHes in and to slowly update it with new stuff - mainly new blood runes.
HEMOSCRIBE
“Blood on my dagger, blood on my skin, blood all around, except - for you - within.”
Snatchers of the soul, invokers of the inherent, thieves of the trite and harrowers of the heart, hemoscribes are those who steal blood from their enemies and use it to scribe runes on their bodies to gain the power of their foes.
Adaptation: Adapting hemoscribes to your campaign setting should be easy enough. Player characters usually hail from civilized societies, whereas their opponents may be from all walks of life, so if you wish to implement it in the middle of a campaign, you could have them encounter a .
Background: Many tribal cultures have rituals that involve blood and hemoscribes often pick up their trade as part of such a culture, functioning alongside clerics of the tribe as experts in religious matters of the tribe. In more civilized societies, there is usually a taboo surrounding blood and hemoscribes that hail from these places are usually the more deprived ones, combat-lusty or simply murderous and insane.
Organization: Hemoscribes usually work alone, though they easily form connections to other hemoscribes or spellcasters that work spells or rituals that involve the use of blood. It is rare to see many of them together in the same organization in any given location, though a few together occurs at times.
Races: Races with a tribal structure, as well as races with a more evil lean, have greater tendency to pick up on the path of a hemoscribe. This is why it is most often practiced by orcs, but drow and tribal elves are also not uncommon. Kobolds favour other ways of magic, but yet in regions where hemoscribes are more commonly known their race holds many of them. Goblins and their kin are not averse to the hemoscribe’s practices, but their participating numbers remain small. A good lot of hemoscribes are human, or part-human - tieflings especially, but beyond that few of the common civilized races are attracted to the trade and so dwarven, gnomish and Halfling hemoscribes remain truly rare - but in the Underdark one might yet find a less rare amount of their duergar and svirfneblin counterparts adhering to the practices.
Religion: Hemoscribes from tribal cultures are usually a religious lot, whilst those stemming from civilized society are only sometimes so. Gods of death and nature are most commonly revered, such as Nerull, Wee Jas and Obad-Hai, though deities of slaughter find their way with more murderous ones, particularly Erythnul.
Other Classes: Hemoscribes sadly have some trouble fitting in, as most people would have a first reaction of "yuch" to what they do. Warriors and other types that get up close in fights and get splattered with blood find it easier to get accustomed to than others, as well as clerics and devotees to gods of war. Clerics of gods of nature, druids, totemists and rangers often may see the logic of the hemoscribe when bloodwriting is described as forming a stronger connection to the natural world. Nonevil arcanists, bards and psionicists find them distateful or even disgusting - and evil ones sometimes find that as well, actually.
Role: Hemoscribes will find themselves in melee a lot due to the need to damage their foes and stack up on points for their bloodbank. However, they are quite versatile and with the right blood runes can become main attackers, battlefield controllers, party defenders or even back-up healers.
Abilities: Strength is important to a hemoscribe as it increases their chances of hitting and their damage output, thus getting them more points in their bloodbank to use for their abilities. Furthermore they should prioritize Constitution, as almost all abilities they can used are keyed off it. Both Strength and Charisma are also important for some of their runes.
Game Rule Information Alignment: Any. There are no limitations to what alignment a hemoscribe may have, but due to their connotations and link with blood and therefore violence and murder, most hemoscribes are yet decidedly evil. Hit Die: d8 Starting Gold: 3d4x10 gp
Class Skills
The Hemoscribe’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Geography, Local, Nature, Religion, the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int) x4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int
Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Hemoscribes are proficient with all simple weapons, the handaxe, kukri, light pick and short sword. They are proficient with light armour, but not with shields.
Bloody Edge (Su): A hemoscribe learns to infuse her weapons with the power to draw out more blood and be more damaging. By spending a move action in the round after damaging a hostile creature with a weapon, the hemoscribe can make a quick basic rune on that weapon that increases its damage. This only works on piercing or slashing melee weapons and the rune lasts until the end of the encounter. The hemoscribe can also attack herself to make this rune, but it must deal at least 1 point of damage to enable her to do so.
At level 1 a weapon that has the rune of bloody edge on it deals 1d4 extra damage to creatures that aren’t at full hit points. This bonus damage increases every odd level as shown on the table
Bloodbank: When a hemoscribe inflicts wounds with a weapon that has her bloody edge bestowed upon it, she gains special points that go into her ‘bloodbank’. For every 2 points of damage she deals, she gains 1 point in her bloodbank. A bloodbank can hold no more points than ten times the hemoscribe’s class level. These blood points are used to fuel a hemoscribe’s bloodwriting and bloodcasting abilities.
Bloodwriting: A hemoscribe’s signature ability is her bloodwriting. Bloodwriting consists of scribing runes on parts of her own body and gain powers associated with the creature types of the enemies she had fought that day. At level 1 she only has access to Drip-level bloodwritten runes, but gains access to Pour-level ones at level 6, Gush-level ones at level 11 and Spurt-level ones at level 16. Each rune requires a specific amount of minimum points from a hemoscribe’s bloodbank, but many can be augmented to be more powerful. However, when she creates a rune, not only does she use up points from her bloodbank, the total amount of points her bloodbank can hold decreases by that exact amount until she removes the rune. Bloodwritten runes are permanent unless removed by the hemoscribe herself. Creating a bloodwritten rune takes 10 minutes per rune.
A hemoscribe can augment the effectiveness of some bloodwritten runes by spending more bloodbank points when creating one. However, she may not expend more bloodbank points than her bloodwriter level for use of augmenting a bloodwritten rune. Furthermore, a hemoscribe can have no more bloodwritten runes on her body than her Constitution modifier and bloodwritten runes also require specific locations on the body and no more than one bloodwritten rune can occupy that location. The locations are forehead, face, hand (left or right), arms, chest and legs.
Bloodcasting: At every even level a hemoscribe gains a bloodcasting ability. Whereas her bloodwritten runes mostly provide passive benefits and can only be created outside of encounters, bloodcasting abilities are ones that require a standard action to use. Bloodcasting abilities expend an amount of points from a hemoscribe's bloodbank as stated in their description.
Determine type (Ex): At 2nd level a hemoscribe can determine the type of a creature she has gained bloodbank points from by looking, tasting and sniffing at the bloody essence on her weapon. This takes a standard action.
Lifesense (Su): At 10th level a hemoscribe becomes able to sense living creatures in their surroundings by their life fluids disturbing the naturally flowing weave of the universe around them. They can sense any creature with a Con score within 5 ft x (hemoscribe level + Cha mod).
Exsanguination (Su): At 20th level, if a creature dies within 30 ft of the hemoscribe, the hemoscribe automatically gains a number of blood points equal to the creature's amount of HD. If there are two hemoscribes within 30 ft of a creature at the time of its death, they can either opt to split the blood points between them as they wish, or to struggle for them. In that case, they both roll a d20 and add their Con modifiers and if one of the hemoscribes is closer to the creature that dies, she gains a +1 bonus for every 10 ft she is closer to the creature.
FEATS
BLOODBANE Benefit: Whenever you have only bloodwritten runes active that all come from the same type of creature, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls against creatures of that type for every bloodwritten rune you have currently scribed beyond the first.
BLOODY BREAST Prerequisites: Bloodwriter level 6th Benefit: You can have two bloodwritten runes occupying the "chest" location at once. They simply are placed next to one another rather than covering all of the chest. However, the second bloodwritten rune you create to occupy the "chest" location costs 5 additional bloodbank points (this does not count to your augmentation limit). The total amount of points your bloodbank can hold decreases by that many more points.
BLOODWRITTEN RUNES
Some bloodwritten runes refer to a hemoscribe's bloodwriter level. This is equal to her hemoscribe level plus any bloodwriter increases gained from prestige classes.
Drip
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Any or non-creature type
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Arcane Mindrune [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Forehead Prerequisites: Blood of Magic bloodcasting ability, must have gotten bloodbank points from a spellcaster that day
Your draw an arcane rune on your forehead and the metal in the blood crystallizes into a tiny pointy crystal horn in the middle of your forehead. Any damage-dealing spells you have gained through your Blood of Magic ability deal 1 point of damage more. Augmentation: For every 3 extra bloodbank points you spend on this rune, the extra damage increases by 1.
Elven Lightsight [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, construct, dragon, fey, giant, magical beast or plant type that day OR a creature of the elf or gnome subtype.
This rune gives you low-light vision, as well as a +2 bonus on Search and Spot checks. In addition, you gain the ability to notice secret or concealed doors by merely passing within 5 feet of one, getting to make a Search check as if you were actively looking for it.
Quickness of Life [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Legs Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon, fey, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider type that day.
This rune draws on the quickness of the living creatures you have drawn from, granting you a +2 enhancement bonus to Reflex saves.
Resilience of Life [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Legs Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon, giant, magical beast, outsider, plant or vermin type that day.
This rune draws on the resilience of the living creatures you have drawn from, granting you a +2 enhancement bonus to Fort saves.
Will of Life [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Forehead Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the aberration, deathless, dragon, fey, monstrous humanoid, outsider or undead type that day.
This rune draws on the willpower of the living creatures you have drawn from, granting you a +2 enhancement bonus to Will saves.
Subtypes
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Bloodswimming [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Chest Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the aquatic or water subtype that day.
A large and wavy pattern with a few sharp triangles near the top are drawn across your torso towards your throat and alters the skin to become slightly shiny and slimy, feeling like fish scales. This rune allows you to breathe underwater and pools of blood and it gives you a swim speed equal to half your base land speed. Augmentation: For every 5 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune your swim speed increases by 5 ft.
Ghostsight [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Forehead Prerequisites: Must have gotten bloodbank points from an incorporeal creature or a creature with the Incorporeal subtype that day
Your draw a wavy and vague-appearing rune on your forehead that seems to fade quickly as you create it, but returning when you’re finished. Your eyes take on a ghostly white appearance. Every time you miss an incorporeal creature due to the fact that it is incorporeal, you may re-roll your miss chance once. Augmentation: For every 3 extra bloodbank points you spend on this rune, you gain a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls against incorporeal creatures.
Animal or magical beast type
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Bloody Nails [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Hands (both) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon or magical beast type that day.
This rune gives you a bloody mutation of claws that deal 1d6 points of damage if you are Medium plus your Str mod. You can attack with one claw as a standard action or with both claws as a full-round action using your full BAB. Augmentation: For every 5 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune you gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with the claws. Furthermore, your augmented claws count as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Deathless type
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Chasing Light [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Forehead Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the deathless type that day.
This rune creates glowing copies of its patterns that surround your head, making you permanently surrounded by an area of light, making you shed light like a torch. You can suppress it as a standard action, but must spend a swift action every round after that to keep it suppressed. You also gain a +5 bonus to Disguise checks to disguise as an Illumian, but only when interacting with non-Illumians. Real Illumians can see that the runes around your head are not like the sigils they bear. Augmentation: For every 6 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the bright illumination from the light effect increases by 5 ft and the shadowy illumination beyond that increases by 5 ft as well.
Dragon type
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Bloody Nails [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Hands (both) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon or magical beast type that day.
This rune gives you a bloody mutation of claws that deal 1d6 points of damage if you are Medium plus your Str mod. You can attack with one claw as a standard action or with both claws as a full-round action using your full BAB. Augmentation: For every 5 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune you gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with the claws. Furthermore, your augmented claws count as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Exhaling Dragon's Element [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
Sharp lines are traced across your face to form this rune, which mutates your visage slightly, making the area around your mouth and throat appear scaley and the gaps between the scales glow fiery. You gain a breath weapon of a type you must specify when you create this rune: either a 15 ft cone of acid, cold or fire or a 30 ft line of acid, fire or lightning. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 turns and it deals 1d6 points of damage. Augmentation: You can augment this rune in one or both of the following ways.
1. For every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend, you increase the damage by 1d6.
2. If you spend 10 additional bloodbank points, you double the range of the breath weapon.
Gaseous Noxious Breath [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune allows you to use a breath weapon that functions as a 15 ft cone that sickens all creatures in its area for 2 rounds. A successful Fort save reduces this to 1 round. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 rounds.
Elemental type
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Elemental Bloody Edge [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Hand Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the elemental type that day OR a creature of the air, cold, earth, fire or water subtype (air for electricity, cold or water for cold, fire for fire and earth for acid damage).
This rune reflects on one of the four elements, picked at the time of creating the rune. This rune turns the extra damage from your bloody edge class ability into a type of energy (acid, cold, electricity or fire damage). However, when you have this rune, you do not gain any bloodbank points. You can suppress this rune as a free action, not benefitting from the damage type change, but also still being able to gain bloodbank points.
The rune also only works if the weapon with your bloody edge is wielded in the hand that has the rune. If a two-handed weapon has your bloody edge bestowed upon it, both your hands must have this rune (this does not increase the cost of the rune but prevents you from putting two different runes on your hands). Augmentation: For every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune your bloody edge damage increases by 1 while you are not suppressing this rune.
Fey type
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Fey Tongue [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the fey type that day.
This rune grants you a +5 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
Undead type
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Chasing Darkness [Drip] Bloodbank points: 5 Location: Forehead Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the undead type that day.
This rune makes you permanently surrounded by an area of darkness, except it only has a radius of 5 ft and it follows you around. You can suppress it as a standard action, but must spend a swift action every round after that to keep it suppressed. Augmentation: For every 6 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the radius of the darkness increases by 5 ft.
Pour
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Any or non-creature type
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Dwarven Darksight [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the aberration, construct, deathless, dragon, elemental, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, outsider, undead or vermin type that day OR a creature of the dwarf or orc subtype.
This rune gives you darkvision out to 60 ft, as well as a +2 bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items and a +2 bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework. In addition, you gain the ability to notice unusual stonework by merely passing within 10 feet of it, getting to make a Search check as if you were actively looking for it. You can also make Search checks to find stonework traps as a rogue can. Augmentation: For every 3 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the range of the your darkvision granted by the rune increases by 10 ft.
Subtypes
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Piercing the Veil of the World [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Chest Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from an incorporeal creature or a creature of the incorporeal type that day.
This rune turns you invisible as per the invisibility spell (PH 245). If you attack anyone or do anything that would normally throw off the invisibility, it is negated for 5 rounds, after which it automatically resumes. You can suppress the effect and become visible as a standard action, but you must spend a swift action every round to remain visible. Augmentation: If you spend 5 additional bloodbank points you also gain the ability to see invisible creatures as the see invisibility spell (PH 275).
Animal or magical beast type
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Monstrous Flight [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Arms Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon or magical beast type that day OR an outsider with either the evil or good subtype.
The blood of this rune you make magical mutates you and makes a pair of wings sprout from your shoulders and back. You gain a fly speed equal to your base land speed with good maneuverability. Augmentation: You can augment this rune in one of the following ways.
1. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune increases your flight speed to double your base land speed.
2. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune grants you perfect maneuverability.
Dragon type
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Frightful Presence [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Legs Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune grants you the frightful presence of a dragon. In any round in which you attack or use a breath weapon, all enemies within 30 ft of you must make a Will save (DC 13 + Cha modifier) or become shaken for 10 minutes. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Dragons and other creatures immune to the frightful presence of dragons are immune to this effect. Augmentation: For every 3 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the DC increases by 1.
Monstrous Flight [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Arms Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon or magical beast type that day OR an outsider with either the evil or good subtype.
The blood of this rune you make magical mutates you and makes a pair of wings sprout from your shoulders and back. You gain a fly speed equal to your base land speed with good maneuverability. Augmentation: You can augment this rune in one of the following ways.
1. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune increases your flight speed to double your base land speed.
2. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune grants you perfect maneuverability.
Scorching Crown [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Forehead Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day OR a creature with the fire subtype.
This rune makes your hair wreathed in torch-like flame. It sheds as much light as a torch does and never goes out and that lashes out to any creature that attacks you with natural weapons or a nonreach melee weapon, dealing 1 fire damage to them. Augmentation: For every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the damage dealt increases by 1.
Elemental type
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Elemental Lifeline [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Hand (either left or right) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the elemental type that day.
This rune allows you to use a variation of the endure elements spell on creatures at will. Using it also makes the target immune to any energy damage that you deal. This effect lasts for 24 hours.
Warding Essence of the Elemental [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Chest Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the elemental type that day OR a creature of the air, cold, earth, fire or water subtype (air for electricity, cold or water for cold, fire for fire and earth for acid resistance).
This rune reflects on one of the four elements, picked at the time of creating the rune. This rune offers resistance 10 to either acid, cold, electricity or fire. Augmentation: For every additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the resistance increases by 1.
Fey type
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Deteriorating Blade [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Hand (left or right) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the fey type that day OR an outsider with the chaotic and/or evil subtype.
While this rune is active, you can choose to forego the bonus damage from your bloody edge class ability and instead force the target you hit to make a Fort save (DC 14 + Str mod) or have their damage reduction lowered by 5 for 1 minute. Multiple uses of this on the same creature don’t stack; instead they reset the duration. When you use this ability, you don’t gain any bloodbank points from the attack. Using this ability requires a swift action and lasts for one round.
Supernatural Charm [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the fey type that day.
You can charm a creature within 60 ft of you as per the charm person spell (Will save DC 11 + Cha modifier). You can only have one creature charmed at a time and if you charm another, the first charm is removed. Augmentation: You can augment this rune in one of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional bloodbank points, this rune can also affect an animal, fey, giant, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid.
2. If you spend 4 additional bloodbank points, this rune can also affect an aberration, dragon, elemental, or outsider in addition to the creature types mentioned above.
In addition, for every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this rune’s save DC increases by 1.
Humanoid or monstrous humanoid type
Spoiler
Mostly Harmless [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Legs Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the humanoid or monstrous humanoid type that day.
This rune allows you to take the form and shape of any humanoid creature as a standard action and stay in that form indefinitely, as the change shape ability (MM 306).
Outsider type
Spoiler
Deteriorating Blade [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Hand (left or right) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the fey type that day OR an outsider with the chaotic and/or evil subtype.
While this rune is active, you can choose to forego the bonus damage from your bloody edge class ability and instead force the target you hit to make a Fort save (DC 14 + Str mod) or have their damage reduction lowered by 5 for 1 minute. Multiple uses of this on the same creature don’t stack; instead they reset the duration. When you use this ability, you don’t gain any bloodbank points from the attack. Using this ability requires a swift action and lasts for one round.
Monstrous Flight [Pour] Bloodbank points: 10 Location: Arms Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the animal, dragon or magical beast type that day OR an outsider with either the evil or good subtype.
The blood of this rune you make magical mutates you and makes a pair of wings sprout from your shoulders and back. You gain a fly speed equal to your base land speed with good maneuverability. Augmentation: You can augment this rune in one of the following ways.
1. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune increases your flight speed to double your base land speed.
2. If you spend 8 additional bloodbank points, this rune grants you perfect maneuverability.
Gush
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Any or non-creature type
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Bleed-In Brain [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Forehead Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the chosen type that day.
The Bleed-In Brain rune is placed on the forehead and alters the skin structure there to look like brains bulging outwards. The rune gives a bonus equal to half your bloodwriter level on a specific kind of knowledge skill. You have to choose a single type of creature. Furthermore, if the creature you choose to use for this has the (Psionic) subtype, you gain a +5 bonus to Knowledge (psionics) checks. You can use any knowledge skills you gain a bonus to untrained.
Dragonwarded Heart [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Chest Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
While this rune is active, you are immune to frightful presence and immune to any damage or effect from breath weapons.
Gaseous Tiring Breath [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune allows you to use a breath weapon that functions as a 30 ft cone that exhausts all creatures in its area to sleep for 2 rounds. A successful Fort save reduces this to 1 round of fatigue instead. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 rounds.
Immense Health [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Hand (either left or right) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon or giant type that day.
This rune gives you an amount of temporary hit points equal to twice your bloodwriter level. Every time you take 5 minutes of rest, you renew these temporary hit points. At any time when your temporary hit points granted by this blood rune are 0, you may unmake this blood rune as an immediate action and immediately gain 10 bloodbank points.
Stormnoise Breath [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune allows you to use a breath weapon that functions as a 30 ft cone of sonic energy that deals 1d4 sonic damage per two bloodwriter levels to every creature in the area. A successful Fort save halves this damage. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 rounds.
Giant type
Spoiler
Immense Health [Gush] Bloodbank points: 20 Location: Hand (either left or right) Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon or giant type that day.
This rune gives you an amount of temporary hit points equal to twice your bloodwriter level. Every time you take 5 minutes of rest, you renew these temporary hit points. At any time when your temporary hit points granted by this blood rune are 0, you may unmake this blood rune as an immediate action and immediately gain 10 bloodbank points.
Spurt
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Animal or magical beast type
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Groundbound Aura [Pour] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Arms Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the magical beast type that day.
While this rune is active you are surrounded by an aura up to 60 ft away from you that forces all flying creatures to plummet to the ground and take 1d6 falling damage per 10 ft travelled. This rune only works as long as you stand on the ground. Augmentation: If you spend additional bloodbank points the aura becomes extra nasty and the falling damage increases. For every 6 additional bloodbank points you spend the falling damage increases to a greater die size (1d6 -> 1d8 -> 1d10 -> 1d12), but for every 6 additional bloodbank points you spend your base land speed also decreases by 5 ft.
Dragon type
Spoiler
Breath of Force [Spurt] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune allows you to use a breath weapon like that of a dragon, but unlike most breath weapons it deals force damage and thus affects incorporeal creatures normally. The breath weapon is a line of 60 ft that deals 1d4 points of force damage for every two bloodwriter levels you have.
Gaseous Paralysis Breath [Spurt] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the dragon type that day.
This rune allows you to use a breath weapon that functions as a 30 ft cone that paralyzes all creatures in its area for 1 round. A successful Fort save negates the effect. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 rounds.
Runic Words of the Void [Spurt] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the construct, deathless or undead type that day.
A dotted pattern surrounds your mouth, with lines surrounding it like an explosion, a diamond shape traced on the side of your throat. This rune allows you to speak the runic words of the void once per encounter. When you use it, you deal 1d6 points of damage to the target per bloodwriter level to a single target within 60 ft of you. A successful Fort save (DC 10 + half your bloodwriter level + your Con modifier) halves the damage dealt. If this brings the target to 0 hit points or below, they are disintegrated (as the disintegrate spell). This has no effect on objects. Augmentation: For every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the damage dealt increases by 1d6.
Elemental type
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Complete Singular Elemental Warding [Spurt] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Chest Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the elemental type that day OR a creature of the air, cold, earth, fire or water subtype (air for electricity, cold or water for cold, fire for fire and earth for acid resistance).
This rune reflects on one of the four elements, picked at the time of creating the rune. This rune offers immunity to either acid, cold, electricity or fire.
Elemental Pillars of the Material Plane [Spurt] Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the elemental type that day.
This rune, which reflects on the four elements that the Material Plane is created from, allows the hemoscribe to summon pillars of elemental energy. She can create a 60 ft tall pillar of energy with a radius of 5 ft within 30 ft of herself that deals 8d6 points of damage to any creature that starts its turn inside of it or passes through it. She can create one pillar of acid per day, one pillar of cold per day, one pillar of electricity per day and one pillar of fire per day. Creating any number of pillars requires a standard action. The pillars last for a number of rounds equal to her bloodwriter level. She can concentrate to move a pillar 5 ft as a standard action or move all pillars she currently controls as a full-round action. If she moves further than 30 ft away from any of her pillars, that pillar disappears. Augmentation: For every 4 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune you can move the pillars an extra 5 ft.
BLOODCASTING
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Adrenaline Magic Required level: 8 Bloodbank points: variable
This ability allows a hemoscribe to touch an allied spellcaster or manifester adjacent to him and give him an extra rush of blood infused with the magical properties of many creatures. This allows the spellcaster or manifester to apply a metamagic or metapsionic feat for free to the next spell or power they cast or manifest. Either the spellcaster/manifester or the hemoscribe herself must have the feat in question and the hemoscribe must expend 12 times as many bloodbank points as the amount of spell levels the metamagic feat increases the spell by, or 6 times as many bloodbank points as the amount of extra power points the metapsionic feat would otherwise require.
Using this ability requires a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Blood Healing Bloodbank points: 6 per hit point healed
When picking this ability, a hemoscribe becomes able to heal herself using the blood of her enemies. She may sacrifice a number of bloodbank points to heal hit points.
Using this ability requires a standard action.
This ability can be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken after the first, the number of bloodbank points required to heal 1 hit point is decreased by 1, to a minimum of 3.
Blood of Magic Bloodbank points: variable
When picking this ability, a hemoscribe learns a little magic. She gains the ability to cast a single spell of a maximum level equal to a third of her class level +1. This spell must be an [Acid] or a [Water] spell, but it appears as if it is using blood instead. She must have a Con score of 10 + spell level to be able to cast it and any DCs are Con-dependant. If she already has picked this ability before to gain an [Acid] spell, she may instead pick two [Acid] spells of a maximum level equal to a third of her class level. If she already has picked this ability before to gain a [Water] spell, she may instead pick two [Water] spells of a maximum level equal to a third of her level.
Alternatively, she may pick one spell of a maximum level equal to half her class level that somehow have to do with blood, such as the burning blood spell, or two such spells of a maximum level equal to a third of her class level.
A spell learned this way costs ((3 x spell level) - 2) bloodbank points to cast.
Drain Aspect Required level: 10 Bloodbank points: Equal to the amount of HD of the target
When picking this ability, a hemoscribe becomes able to magically adapt quickly in the thick of battle. When striking a creature with an alignment, elemental or racial subtype, the hemoscribe may immediately pay the required bloodbank points to gain one of their subtypes for 10 minutes. All of the bloodbank points must have come from a single attack they made against the target.
Using this ability requires a swift action.
Raging Blood Bloodbank points: 4
When picking this ability, a hemoscribe becomes able to sacrifice bloodbank points to increase her damage. She deals 1d4 extra damage on her next strike, if it hits. She can sacrifice 2 more bloodbank points to increase the extra damage to 1d6, 4 more bloodbank points to increase it to 1d8, 6 more bloodbank points to increase it to 1d10 or 8 more bloodbank points to increase it to 1d12 extra damage. However, none of her attacks this round fill up her bloodbank.
Using this ability requires a swift action.
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I agree. The concept of someone who gets more powerful as the day goes on rather than less is interesting.
If it ever happens, I'll be using this with an NPC in a campaign I'm running fairly soon. If I remember, I'll tell you how it went.
Thanks, that's prettymuch exactly the purpose here.
I mean, one could try to use up all of their bloodbank for blood runes and start the day powerful, but you will have to sacrifice some versatility that way, in that your bloodcasting is wholly gone (and you couldn't fill up your bloodbank with new points since it'd be basically gone).
And if you remember, please do.
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Looks really cool. Two abilities list conflicting information though, was wondering which is correct:
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Bloody Edge (Su): A hemoscribe learns to infuse her weapons with the power to draw out more blood and be more damaging. By spending a move action in the round after damaging a hostile creature with a weapon, the hemoscribe can make a quick basic rune on that weapon that increases its damage. This only works on piercing or slashing weapons and the rune lasts until the end of the encounter. The hemoscribe can also attack herself to make this rune, but it must deal at least 1 point of damage to enable her to do so. The rune lasts for one day.
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Runic Words of the Void [Spurt]
Bloodbank points: 30 Location: Face Prerequisite: Must have gotten bloodbank points from a creature of the construct, deathless or undead type that day.
A dotted pattern surrounds your mouth, with lines surrounding it like an explosion, a diamond shape traced on the side of your throat. This rune allows you to speak the runic words of the void once per encounter. When you use it, you deal 1d6 points of damage to the target per bloodwriter level to a single target within 60 ft of you. A successful Fort save (DC 10 + half your bloodwriter level + your Con modifier) halves the damage dealt. If this brings the target to 0 hit points or below, they are disintegrated (as the disintegrate spell). This has no effect on objects. You can use this breath weapon once every 4 rounds.
Augmentation: For every 2 additional bloodbank points you spend on this rune the damage dealt increases by 1d6.
Looking forward to seeing any more abilities for this ^_^
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Amazing Abjuration Avatar made by Serpentine.
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Originally Posted by Eighth_Seraph
Very well done, Fako. The Demented One would be proud.
Just posting here to say that I am going to work on this some more and create more bloodwritten runes and bloodcasting abilities. I've fixed the issues stated in the previous post and am currently contemplating about including special rules regarding hemoscribes with grafts.
Currently the intention is (as it was before) to have at least one bloodwritten rune per slot (hands, legs, chest, face, forehead) per creature type per rune level (drip, pour, gush, spurt). ...yes, this is a lot. Hence why it will probably take until forever. Hence also why suggestions are and help is most welcome.
...HM.
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You know, i think that this would be interesting as a set of classes, like one that specializes in bloodcasting, one that focusses specifically on damage, one that focuses on the runes, and one that's a balance of all three. Just a little thing, disregard if you want.
As for the Bloodletting abilities i think it would be easier if you didn't have to rely on the blood of others, what about using your own blood to create weapons, shields, and the like?
I have one that may be interesting
Aberration
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Strange Blood
Bloodbank points: ??? Location: Chest Prerequisites: Must have gotten bloodbank points from an aberration
You gain the benefits of one Aberrant feat for as long as this drip is active, you need not meet the prerequisites for feats gained in that way. You are treated as having a number of Aberrant feats equal to a quarter your hemoscribe level + the number of Aberrant feats you may possess.
From here you can probably get quite a few more. I'm not sure what category that would be but it's useful. Really, as you said yourself, it's hard to come up with these, balance them, and apply them to mechanical terms. I've been trying for quite some time now to come up with my own to add and got virtually nothing.
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Quotes
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GFawkes
You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
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Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze
good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:
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The Hemoscribe! [A Winning PEACH - please?]
